Oil burning equipment and controlling mechanism therefor



Ju-ly 2, 1946.4 l. T. NAGEL ETAL j ,2,403,230

OIL BURN1NG EQUIPMENT AND CONTROLLING MTECHANISM THEREFORl Filed sept'.11, 1942 ATTORNEY preferably Patented July 2, 15546l OIL BURNINGEQUIPMENT AND CONTROL- LING MECHANISM THEREFOR Theodore Nagel, Brooklyn,and Harold D. Bliss, South Salem, N. Y.; said Bliss assigner to -saidNagel Application September 11, 1942, Serial No. 45.7,934 n 4 Claims. i1.

This invention is directed to oil burning systems and has for one of itsobjects the provision offan oil burning system which, while it may becontrolled manually or semi-automatically is Acontrolled entirely'automatically, wherein the practical maximum fuel range is verymaterially increased as compared with existing automatically controlledsystems.

In marine service, for example, the fuel range requirements for ships atsea approximate 8 to 1. Prior to my invention the practical maximum fuelrange of oil burning systems for marine service at sea, where oilpressure and now are varied under automatic combustion control, is about21/2 to 1. In oil burning'systems with constant pressure, variablecapacity oil burners, having oil recirculation systems,with automaticcombustion control, the practical maximum fuel range lapproximates 5to 1. For the wider fuel range demand in marine service at sea, the twosystems above referred to require the manual turning olf and relightingof burners.

The present invention provides an oil burning.rv

system which meets the demands above referred to, in that we provide fora fully automatically controlled system covering a fuel demand of anypractical wide range, as 8 to 1, for example, for ships at sea, with rein all furnaces, and without changing nozzle sizes, without manuallyrelightlng burners previously turnedv off and Without re-` movingburners when they are turned off.

It is to be understood,I of course, that our improved system isl adaptedfor other than marine work, the marine service having been mentionedpurely by way of illustration as a certificate of need. l 1

Broadly speaking, our invention provides an oil burning system wherein amultiple number of oil burner nozzles, constituting a nest, are placedat each furnace firing entrance, through which fuel and air areinjected.v These nozzles are so arranged and controlled that one nozzlewil1 continuously delive'r oi1and remain lighted so long as'the furnaceis in service, and function as a torch for lighting the other nozzles asthey are placed in service.

'I'he burner nozzles of the nest are of different capacities and thereis but one nozzle in service at any time additional to the tor'chnozzle, the nozzle in operation at any instant depending upon the steamdemand on the system.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail of part of the mastercontrol;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of a controlvalveassembly employed in the system illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

I, II, III, IV and V designate a plurality of.

pressure atomizing nozzles disposed at the one firing opening 4 of afurnace. The number of v furnace firing openings and the number ofnozzles composing each nest of nozzles .may be varied as desired to meetthe demands of any installation. For clarity of description andillustration'only one furnace ring opening has been shown with a nest oflive nozzles at this opening, the nozzles increasing in capacity in theorder I, II, III, IV, V.

The nozzles are so disposed relatively to each y other and to thefurnace ring opening that the spread of lthe diverging stream of ignitedatomized oil from each nozzle approximates the diameter of the firingopening so that one of the nozzles which is always burning as long asthe furnace is in service will function as a torch in lighting the othernozzles when steam demand requires that they be set in operation. y

I2 designates a steam main from the'steam generating system.' I4designates ,amaster control comprising a pressure tube I6 whichcornmunicates with thel steam main I2 through line v I8. The oil supply.lineis designated 20 and extends into an oil pressure regulator orrotary valve mechanism 22. This oil pressure regulator 22 controls thesupplying of oil to nozzlesvII, III, IV and V, lines from the oilpressure regulator to the nozzles being designated II', III', IV and V',respectively. The line leading to nozzle I is designated I 4andby-passes the regulator 22.

The line I is equipped withy pressure reducing y valve 24.

Nozzle I i-s equipped with manually operated combined oil and purgevalve 26. Eachrof the nozzles II, IlLIV and V is equipped with acombined oil and purgevalve 28, each of the-se valves being electricallyoperated, the .solenoids therefor being shown at 3U. Purge line32fis.common to all of the oil valves and as will be seen from thedrawing is connected to the steam main I2.' As the oil valve at eachnozzle is closed the purge line 32 to that nozzle will be opened topurge the i nozzle.

Combustion air tothe nozzle is supplied byy matically controlled fromthemaster control III`- so that although the nozzles II, III, I V andVeration: atany instant.

In addition to `the pressure tube I6, master kcontrol I4 comprisesreversible electric motor 38, the circuits of which are controlled bymovable contacts 40 and 42 in turn controlled by the pressure tube I6,the contact' 40 being adapted under certain. conditions to bridge fixedcontacts 44 while contact42 is adapted under other conditions to bridge.fixed contacts 46. It will be seien fromthe drawing that the contacts44 when i bridged are adapted to close a circuit to the motor 38 todrive the same inl one direction, while the contacts 46 when bridged areadapted to close a Circuit to the motor 38 to drive the same in theopposite direction. j j Mounted. above the motor 38 is a jack shaft 50 3geared to the motor by reduction gear train 52.

A cam 54 is mounted onl this jack shaft and cooperates with a followerbar or follower rod 56 l'pivoted intermediate its ends, as shown at 58.v

Connected to the free end of the follower bar or rod 56 are two springs60 and 62. The lower end ofthe spring 60 is anchored while the upper endof the spring 62 is connected byra. cable 64, passing over an idlerroller 66, to the free end of the pressure tube I6. The function of thismas i ter control is to start the motor 38 inone direcl tion or theother, depending upon a few ounces rise or fall of steam pressure inthe-pressure tube I6 upon increase or decrease in steam demand, lthereby through various instrumentalities which 1 will be later referredto-autom'atically selecting the nozzle of the proper capacity to be setinto operation vin accordance with the mentioned var- 3 .iation in steamdemand and to open the circuit of the motor 38 when the steam beinggenerated springs 60 and 62 through pivoting ofthe follower rod 56 andwhenthe forces of steam pressure and Spring tension have become balancedthe g motor circuit automatically opens and movement of jack shaft 50ceases. It will be seen, therefore, that the-master control operates ina. series 1 of steps for a 'given pressure increment above or belownormal steam pressure.

vIt will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that the pressure regulator 22comprises a. hollow rotor 68 mounted within casing 10. This rotor isequipped with a sprocket whee1'12 driven through 1 of the mastercontrol.

chain 'I4 and sprocket `I6 on lthe` Jack shaft 50 Within the rotor 68 is1 a cylindrical stator 18 which is ln constant communication with theoil supply line 20. The casj ing 'I0 heretofore referred to of the oilpressure regulator is provided interiorly withcircumferi entiallyextending ports au, s2, a4, as, with which the oil lines II', III', IV'and V' are in constant I communication.

Rotor 68 is provided in its periphery with ports l 88, 90, 62 and 34.These ports, lengthwise of the rotor, are spaced according to thespacing of the circumferential ports 80, 82, 8,4 and 86 ,in the casing10. The stator I8 is provided with ports 1 se, es, mn and |02. alsolengthwise of the statorcorresponds to the The spacing of these portsselector switch 04 which is driven off the jack This tipselector 4spacing in the same direction of the ports 80, 88, etc., in the shell I0and rotor 68.

The ports 88, 90, 92 and 94 circumferentially of the rotor 68 and theports 96, 98, |00 and |02 circumferentially of the stator 'I8 are sospaced that rotation of the rotor 68 will bring the ports 88 and 96intoregister with each other so that oil from the line 20 may flow tothe line II' of nozzle II, the other portsl of the rotor 68 and statorI8 being at that moment outA of register with each other so that linesIII', IV' and V' are not being supplied with oil at that moment. Furtherrotation of the rotor 68 will bring ports 98 and 90 of the stator I8 androtor 68 into register to permit oil to flow through the line III' tothe nozzle III, this movement of the rotor at the same time moving port88 out of'register with port 96 to shut ol the oil to the line II'. In

other words, this arrangement is such that as of the nozzles II, III, IVand V is vequipped with.

a solenoid 30 and it is not only necessary that the solenoid tov'one ofthese oil valves have its circuit closed in order to open the oil valvebut -at'the same time the oil pressure regulator 22 should function toopen the oil line to that particular valve. For example, it is necessarythat the solenoid 30v for the oil valve of the nozzle II have itscircuit closed at the same instant that y the port 88 in the rotor 6 8is brought into register with the ports'86 in the stator .18.

The circuitsof the various solenoids for the burner oil valves arecontrolled by a tip or nozzle shaft of the master control. switchcomprises four fixed contacts |06, I 08,- l0 and I|2 adapted to beengaged by a switch arm I4 which is driven from the jack shaft 50.v v Inaddition the tip selector switch comprises pressure tubes ||6,||8, |20and |22 connected, respectively, to the oil lines II', III', I'V and V'leading to the oil valve of 'nozzles II, III, IV and V, respectively,and these pressure tubes are adapted to bridge fixed contacts |274, |26,|28 and |30 connected, respectively, to xed contacts |06, |08, ||0 and||2 and to the solenoids 30 of zle is in operation at any instant, andinasmuch as the blower 34 which supplies this combustion air is aconstant speed blower, it is necessary to vary the setting of the damper36 in accordance with the nozzle capacity. Accordinglythe shaft of thejack shaft of the master control is equipped, forI instance, with an arm|32, and

.cable |34 passes 4from this arm and is connected to counterweighted arm|38 of the damper 36.

In operation and assuming that burner I is turned on andinas beenignited and is operating at 125 pounds oil pressure: It will beunderstood that the pressure reducing valve 24 inthe oil line` to nozzleI is set for pounds oil ypressure and that its setting is not changed.Under these conditions combustion air is being supplied to nozzle I bynatural draft.

Assuming nowthat there is a demand for a larger quantity of steam: Underthese conditions there will be a slight change in pressure in thepressure tube I6 of the master control, this tube, as above pointedout,'being connected to the steam main l2. Consequently the free end ofthe tube willmove to cause the contact 42 to bridge fixed' contacts 46and close a circuit to the motor 38 of` the master control.

The circuit of the motorl 38 now being closed, the rotor 88 of the oilpressure regulator 22 will be rotated to bring the port 88 thereof intoregister with the port 96 of the stator 18 to open the oil line IIleading to the oil valve of nozzle II. At the same time the arm H4 ofthe tip selector switch |04 will engage the fixed contact |06 of thatswitch and the pressure tube Il 6( which is connected to the oil line IIwill bridge the contacts I 2l so that a circuit is now closed to thesolenoid 38 of the oil valve for nozzle II andv this valve will beopened, the purge line 32 to that nozzle being closed as the oil valvemoves to open position. Oil will now, therefore, be supplied to nozzleII. At this Asame time also, due to the ystarting up of the motor 38,the damper 36 will be moved into position to permit air from the blower34 to iiow to nozzle II. As explained above, the five nozzles of thenest are so relatively disposed that nozzle I, which is always on firewhen the equipment is in service, will function as a torch t0 light theother nozzles. Consequently operation4 of nozzle II will now have beenestablished or initiated. Nozzle II is of larger capacity than nozzle I.The oil pressure in the line II', which to start with was at 125 pounds,begins to increase. tinues to increase 'so that there is a slightpressure drop in the tube I6 of the master control, the circuit of theImotor 38 will remain closed,

So longas the demand for steam con-- the damper 36 will continue to movetoward open position and the rotor88 will continue to rotate until theoil pressure to the nozzle II is built up to 250 pounds. Building up ofthe oil pressure in line II' from 125 pounds to 250-pounds will beunderstood from an inspection of-Figs. 3 and 4. Assuming' that rotor 88is rotating because of a demand for more steam, it is apparent that 68will rotate from a position where line II' is closed to a. positionwhere port 96 in stator 'I8 and'port` 88 in the rotor are in fullregister. In other words, portarea gradually increases from Zero tomaximum. v If at that time rotor 88 still continues to rotate, port areawil1 gradually be re- 'duced to zero again and further rotation of 68,

because steam demand is still unsatisfied will move rotor 68 to bringthe next set of ports, which are vfor line III' into gradual register.In other words, with ports 88 and 88 in full register. maximum oi1pressure of 250 pounds has been reached.

If the demand for steam is not met whenthe oil pressure to nozzle II hasbuilt upy to 250 pounds, the motor 38 will rotate to bring the arm IN onto fixed contact |08 and at that time the Y rotor 68 will have rotatedsuiliciently far to bring the ports 98 and `88 out of register with eachother and the ports Quand 98 into register with each other. As soon asthe ports 88 and 98 move out of register with each other, nozzle II willbe shut oi, the circuit to the `valve of nozzle II opening at thepressure tube H8 which' it is to be remembered is connected tothe oilline II ofnozzle n. As the port 88 of the rotor 88 begins to uncover theport 98 of the stator 18, pressure will be built up in the tube H8 of`the tip selector control switch. mechanism and a circuit is closed tothe solenoid of the oil valve for nozzle III, the nozzleof the nexthigher-capacity,

6 and the same cycle of operation is gone through at this nozzle, asexplained in connection with nozzle II. As this next larger capacitynozzle J-goes on oil, the oil pressure drops to pounds and nozzle .IIautomatically goes off oil, after which the oil pressure begins to buildup again to 250 pounds and if the steam demand is still not satisfiedhigher, capacity nozzles IV and V will go on successively, the precedingnozzle shutting off each time as explained in connection with nozzles IIand III.

With nozzles I and V in operation, the system is steaming at capacity.

It will be appreciated that should the demand for steam be satisfied atany point between the operation' of nozzle II and nozzle V, the circuitof the motor 38 will open and further operation of the oil pressureregulator 22, damper 36 and z f tip selector control switch |84 willcease. It has already been explained that as the oilvalve at each nozzleshuts oi the purge line 32 to the nozzle of that burner is automaticallyopened so as to purge the nozzle.

For a continuing decrease in demand for steam the cycle above describedis reversed Under4 these conditions there will be a `few ounces rise in.pressure in the tube I 6 of the master con. trol so that fixed contacts44 will be bridged to close the circuit to the motor 38 to rotate thesame in a direction opp site to thatrst .described. Let us assume t atnozzle I and highest capacity nozzle V are in operation on this decreasein steam demand: Under these conditions the operation of the motor 38will eiect rotation of the rotor 68 gradually to move the port 94 out ofregister with port 402 in stator i '18, decreasing theroil pressure inthe line V'. When this oil pressure has reached 125 pounds the circuitfor the solenoid for the oil valveof v nozzle V will be opened at thecontacts |30 and arm IHwill swing out of contact with contact H2 which'is in thecircuit of this same solenoid. Consequently, nozzle V willbefshut oil and the succeeding lesser capacity nozzle IV turned on oildue to further rotation of the rotor 88 and assuming that the demand forsteam on the system continues to decrease. As nozzle IV goes on the oilpressure is at maximum, namely, 250 pounds, and as the rotor 68continues to move this pressure will drop until nozzle IV goes olf and`nozzle III comes on. This cycle is repeated until in operation .so longas the equipment is in use.

in order that it may function as a torch .for the other nozzles lwhenlthe demand for steam'requires their operation, it being understood, ofcourse, aside from the constantly operating nozzle but one nozzle of thenest is in operation at any instant.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction andarrangement of parts herein illustrated and describedwithin the purview of our invention. What we claim is: 1. An oilburningsystem for generating steam,

amaaso in opening of a furnace, the operation of saidl nozzles beingcontrolled by the steam demand on a boiler being red by the furnace, anoil valve g for each nozzle, a solenoid for each valve, an oil pressureregulator for regulating the oil pressure to each nozzle, a mastercontrol comprising) a reversible electric motor, said master controlbeing under the direct control of the steam pressure in thesystemfwhereby upon vincreasing steam demand on the system the 'circuittothe solenoid l 4for the valve of one nozzle will be opened tointerrupt the operation of said nozzle and simul- 1 taneously thecircuit ofthe solenoid for 'the oil i valve for the nozzle of the nextlarger capacity i will be closed to open said valve, and simul-'taneously said oil pressure regulator will be op erated, whereby`operation of the said larger capaclty nozzle at reduced oil pressurewill be 1 initiated. i

y2. An oil bur-ning system for generating steam,

said nozzles under the direct control of the steam j beingv generated,said master control including a reversible electric motor the circuit ofwhich is controlled by steam. pressure, a nozzle-selector l comprising aswitch arm driven by said motor, contact mechanism cooperating with saidswitch said system comprising in combination a plul raiity ofI pressureatomlzing nozzles of diilerent capacities at a `flring opening of afurnace, an l electric valve for each nozzle, a master control for armfor opening and closing the circuits of said electric valves in theorder as determined by the said reversible motor and the steam demand onthe system,` and means for supplying oil and 3. An oil burning systemfor generating steam,

comprising in combination a vplurality of pres- 1 combustion air to thevnozzles in iixed oil-air sure atomizing nozzles a firing opening of afurnace, means for supplying oil and -airv to said nozzles, anelectricallyk operated. oil valve for each nozzle, switch mechanism forsaid valves, and a master control-comprising a reversible electric motorunder. the direct control of the steam pressure in the system operableto operate said' switch mechanism to initiate the operation of saidnozzles in the as cending order of their capacities on increasingy steamdemand` on one direction of rotation of said motor and to reverse thiscycle on decreasing steam demand upon rotation of'said motor in theopposite direction, said oi1 supplying means comprising an oil pressureregulator driven by saidreversible motor and provided with a` port foreach nozzle, whereby the quantity of oil supplied to the system willvary in accordance with "the nozzle in operation at any instant, saidair supply means comprising a. damper controlled by said `motor wherebythe air supplied to the system'will vary in accordance with' thecapacity of the nozzle in operation.

' 4. An oilV burning system comprising in' combination a plurality ofpressure atomizing nozzles ofdifferent capacities at a firing opening ofa,

furnace, a master control therefor includinga reversible motor, an oilpressure regulator comprising a ported rotor driven by said motor for enby said electric motor for selecting the nozzle I valve to be operatedat any instant depending upon the setting of said ported rotor and thelsteam demand on the system, thereby to malnvtially constant. l

tain the steam pressure on the system substan- TH'EODORE NAGEL. HAROLDD. BLISS.

of different capacities at

